Hidden Moth-Chapter 514 - 292: Spreading All Matters with the Same Spirit (Part 2)

Chapter 514: Chapter 292: Spreading All Matters with the Same Spirit (Part 2)

This is a unique situation in a thousand years.

If Qi Nansheng were exposed, it would be a shocking event for the Magic Sect, with potentially serious consequences, leading to a complete internal and external reorganization of the sect.

The Magic Sect might also make significant changes because of this.

Who says the traditions of the Magic Sect cannot change? Didn’t the tradition of teachers bestowing artifacts change from a thousand years ago?

If this leads to the Magic Sect changing its tradition, deciding to only train disciples internally, or only appoint those from within, and no longer recruit returning independent cultivators from the Jianghu, then the path for the Xiao Alliance would be severed.

The Xiao Alliance has previously been operating covertly, and the Magic Sect hasn’t paid much attention to it.

Though many Xiao Alliance disciples were exposed for various reasons and dealt with by the Magic Sect, it was always under the guise of enforcing sect rules and punishing degenerates. The Ancestral Hall has never mobilized the entire sect’s force to wipe out the Xiao Alliance worldwide.

However, if Qi Nansheng’s identity were revealed, it would mean the Xiao Alliance would be completely exposed and break its relationship with the Magic Sect.

If such a scandal breaks out, the Ancestral Hall might lash out in anger, to cover up its incompetence, and fully wage war against the Xiao Alliance... the losses from such an event would be unbearable.

Therefore, the previous generation of the Elder Council of the Xiao Alliance collectively decided that Qi Nansheng should not be directly utilized as a pawn.

Not directly used, but that doesn’t mean indirect use is out of the question.

For instance, Yu Pingzhou and Geng Yanxin, were also placed by the Xiao Alliance into the Alchemy Sect one after the other, both joining the faction represented by Qi Nansheng and becoming core members.

Yu Pingzhou once apprenticed under Qi Nansheng himself, serving as a steward in the Alchemy Sect before retreating with his master to practice on Taihua Mountain. Now, Geng Yanxin serves as a steward in the Alchemy Sect.

Why were these two able to succeed in rising to their positions?

According to the Magic Sect’s rules, their past conduct must be assessed first, and indeed there were no issues. The Xiao Alliance’s key cultivated covert personnel would obviously be mindful of this.

Their childhood experiences seemed flawless, with no record of criminal behavior, and they were known for commendable good deeds. After returning to the Magic Sect, they honored their elders, cared for juniors, and treated peers well, gradually accumulating considerable reputation.

With covert support from Xiao Alliance forces, they even found ways to accumulate merits.

Of course, in the eyes of the Xiao Alliance’s core leadership, their rise to stewardship was also supported by Qi Nansheng’s influence, which is where Qi Nansheng’s role comes into play.

Pawns like Yu Pingzhou and Geng Yanxin are also only activated at critical moments. For instance, Yu Pingzhou secretly directed Zeng Hongye to plot the murder of Wu Yanjun in order to investigate clues to the identity of Hidden Moth.

Yu Pingzhou acted with great secrecy, but unfortunately, he was still found out and thereby removed by the Ancestral Hall... it seems Qi Nansheng quickly cut ties and did not implicate him.

Compared to the former steward Yu Pingzhou, the current steward Geng Yanxin holds even greater value. The Xiao Alliance finally found an opportunity to orchestrate an unprecedented grand operation — to directly seize control of the Immortal Pot Grotto Heaven.

This plan also has contingency measures, which involve simultaneously ambushing Li Xiuyuan and Mei Guyu at Qi Yuan. Ideally, capturing both would be best, but at least eliminate Li Xiuyuan and capture Mei Guyu alive.

If the two elders encounter trouble in Qi Yuan, it would draw the attention of the Ancestral Hall entirely, allowing more time and operational space for actions at the Immortal Pot Grotto Heaven.

Even though the Grotto Heaven cannot be moved, what happens after seizing it, wouldn’t it fear being besieged by the Ancestral Hall? The Xiao Alliance also has corresponding preparations.

Once the Grotto Heaven gate closes, no one knows what happens inside. Even if the worst is expected, if besieged by the Ancestral Hall, they are in a position to negotiate.

The most important bargaining chip in negotiations is, of course, the Immortal Pot Grotto Heaven itself, followed by Li Xiuyuan and Mei Guyu.

The more successful plan would be to, before anyone can react, use the spatial divine artifact’s miraculous properties of the Eight Trigrams Purple Gold Furnace, to sweep clean the Immortal Pot Grotto Heaven, taking everything portable.

As for whether conducting such action will provoke the Ancestral Hall into an outraged full investigation of the Magic Sect, and even exposing Qi Nansheng’s identity?

Master Dan Qiu no longer cares because the gains this time are substantial enough.

Though he vowed not to reveal Qi Nansheng’s identity, he has some disagreements with the Xiao Alliance’s higher-ups’ decisions from the previous century.

He has a small objective, which is to enter the Immortal Pot Grotto Heaven to receive secondary inheritance. Despite having obtained high-tier techniques and breaking through to Tier Six Cultivation, there are source techniques left by the ancestor here, which he also wishes to witness personally.

Unfortunately, even this small objective seems impossible to achieve today. Moreover, one of the most crucial secrets of the Xiao Alliance, the situation of Qi Nansheng’s identity, had already been grasped by the Ancestral Hall.

If it weren’t for hearing Jiang Daozhen say it himself, Master Dan Qiu simply wouldn’t believe it!

With many thoughts racing in his mind, Master Dan Qiu’s expression suddenly changed. With a swift activation, the Eight Trigrams Purple Gold Furnace erupted like a sea of fire, elevating the power of the Eight Gates Wind and Fire Array to the extreme.

If he had admitted defeat earlier, there might still have been a slim chance of survival, but once Jiang Daozhen revealed this secret, it meant the Ancestral Hall would no longer allow them to leave alive.

The slow-paced war of attrition instantly transformed into a life-and-death battle. The dancing flames gradually turned golden, manifesting as bolts of lightning, crashing against the screens encircling them.

The screens turned from ancient sandalwood color to a bright amber, vaguely becoming semi-transparent, evidently pushed to the utmost. The engravings on the screens also seemed to "come alive."

On the Lansheng Stone, Lotus, Moonlit Osmanthus, Plum Blossoms in Snow, the branches and leaves swayed in the wind, alongside the rising and setting sun and moon, the blooming and withering flowers, depicting the four seasons’ transformations.

In the intense magical combat, four elders were still secretly communicating through divine thought.

Jiang Daozhen: "We’ve been wearing him down, and the time is about right."

Gu Chun: "Actually, I alone can wipe him out."

Li Xiuyuan: "It’s best to be cautious, lest he attempts a desperate artifact break burst."

Gu Chun: "With his cultivation, he can’t destroy the Eight Trigrams Purple Gold Furnace."

Guo Qianhuai: "It’s not good if he destroys the Yin Yang Wind and Fire Fan."

Jiang Daozhen: "Guo Dachui, can you handle it, can you hold steady?"

Jiang Daozhen was asking Guo Qianhuai if he could withstand it, not referring to him personally, but to the Four Seasons Flower Screen he had refined.

Guo Qianhuai replied: "I’ve no hope of breaking through to higher cultivation, but I’ve gained some insight in artifact refining. Over the years, I’ve been refining this Four Seasons Flower Screen set. It’s the culmination of my life’s work, rest assured, no problem!"

Jiang Daozhen: "I was quite assured, but this Four Seasons Flower Screen set is still in the midst of refinement, not completely finished."

Guo Qianhuai: "Just harness the power of the Eight Trigrams Purple Gold Furnace’s artifact refining to hopefully forge a divine artifact."

Gu Chun: "Are you confident? Don’t get too ambitious!"

Guo Qianhuai: "I have confidence, handling that Xiaodanzi is sufficient."

Just at that moment, Master Dan Qiu suddenly let out a shout, while his disciple dropped weakly to the ground, blood streaming from his orifices. The swirling flames converged into a beam, transforming into golden light and striking out.

Master Dan Qiu realized at that moment, the only hope for a breakthrough was concentrating power to attack the grand array’s weak point.

The Four Seasons Flowering Array theoretically has no weak points, no matter where it is attacked, the damage is borne collectively by the four screens, which is the purpose of the array.

But this is only theory, there’s always a way to break the array — by delivering damage beyond its threshold... first, pick a soft target.

Master Dan Qiu didn’t choose Gu Chun but targeted the Moonlit Osmanthus Screen controlled by Li Xiuyuan. The golden light struck with an earth-shaking roar, hitting not the Moonlit Osmanthus Screen, but the Lansheng Stone Screen manipulated by Gu Chun from afar.

At that moment, the four elders shifted positions, rotating half a turn clockwise, and Li Xiuyuan stood before the Ancestral Hall’s gate.

This strike was earth-shattering, as if the entire Immortal Pot Grotto Heaven echoed the impact. The four elders simultaneously let out clear shouts, leveraging the collision power of the golden light burst, and the screens emitted a myriad of beams...

Do not be fooled by the length of this magical combat, for when life and death decisions are made, it all happens in mere moments.

After the blaze subsided, at the center lay a large alchemy furnace, next to two fans. Besides these, nothing remained, the master-disciple pair of Dan Qiu had vanished into ashes along with their clothing.

Gu Chun emerged from the Ancestral Hall, beckoning to the alchemy furnace. The furnace transformed into golden light, flying into his palm and shrinking to the size of a fist. He proceeded to collect the two Yin Yang Wind and Fire Fans.

**